SB 783: Veterans: suicide.

Existing law establishes the Department of Veterans Affairs, which administers various programs that provide benefits to veterans, including educational assistance and farm and home purchase assistance. Existing law authorizes each county to appoint a veterans service officer. Existing law requires that these officers administer aid to veterans, investigate veterans claims and requests relating to veterans aid, and to perform any other veteran-related services as requested by the county board of supervisors.

This bill, until January 1, 2029, would authorize the Counties of Los Angeles and Nevada to create a veteran suicide prevention training pilot program to offer individuals in each county specialized training and certification in suicide prevention with military-connected populations. The bill would require the program to train individuals to identify indicators of elevated suicide risk and provide emergency crisis intervention and referrals for veterans, as specified.

This bill would require counties establishing the program to collaborate to hire a suicide prevention subject matter expert (SME) with expertise in implementation and dissemination of evidence-based practices and evidence-informed interventions with military-connected populations. The bill would require the SME to, among other things, develop an individualized intense training curriculum based on the needs of the counties and to develop a process for collaboration and communication with current community partners. The bill would also require the counties in the program to submit a report to the Legislature on or before September 15, 2026. The bill would appropriate $100,000 for the creation of this program.